Dinwiddie County Animal Control updates

Kelsey Reichenberg Staff Writer @KRProgressIndex

Wednesday

Jun 27, 2018 at 5:50 PM

Animal Control shares 2017 activity with Board of Supervisors

DINWIDDIE — Alvin Langley - Chief Warden with the Dinwiddie County Animal Control - attended the Board of Supervisors’ June meeting to update the Board and attendees on the department’s happenings and accomplishments over the past year.

Langley’s presentation began with a description of the Animal Control Division: “The Animal Control Division is tasked with enforcing the County Ordinances and the Commonwealth of Virginia Laws as they pertain to domestic animals and the public’s health, safety and welfare.”

He noted the department is also tasked with serving the citizens of Dinwiddie County by enforcing those laws and ordinances, and educating the public concerning the ordinances.

“We strive toward the reduction and prevention of animal-related problems in the community through reasonable and responsible application of education, warning/citation system, and the impoundment of domestic animals,” said Langley.

Langley then showed the Board a variety of bar graphs that illustrated statistics from the department’s activity over the past year, including data on calls for service, and the number of animals handled, returned to their owners, adopted, transferred, animals that died, and animals that were euthanized.

A total of 4,316 calls for service were answered. This is a 9.2 percent increase from last year’s figure of 3,951.A total of 1,201 animals were physically contacted or ‘handled’. This is a decrease of 5.3 percent from last year’s figure of 1,272 animals.A total of 205 animals were returned to their owners. This is a increase of 33.9 percent from last year’s figure of 153 animals.152 animals were adopted directly from the shelter. This is a decrease of 40.8 percent from last year’s figure of 214 animals.A total of 404 animals were transferred to multiple rescue organizations. This is a increase of 49.1 percent from last year’s figure of 271.7 animals died while in the shelter. Causes for deaths in the shelter can range from disease, parvo, cat distemper, or issues relating to their reasons for being at the shelter. This is a decrease of 30 percent from last year’s figure of 10.A total of 415 animals were euthanized. This is a decrease of 30.6 percent from last year’s figure of 598. Animals are euthanized if they are sick, injured, aggressive, and/or owners that have had their dog court order to be euthanized.1 animal escaped while in the shelter, and was recovered three days later, and returned to the owner.15 animals remained in the shelter at the end of 2017. This was a 34.8 percent decrease from last year’s figure of 23.

Langley’s presentation also highlighted various community outreach initiatives the county’s Animal Control Division participated in throughout the past year, including multiple rabies clinics they conducted where County Dog Licenses were also sold. Animal Control Officers and volunteers also attended several adoption events and participated in National Night Out. Additionally, the Third Annual Open House was held at the animal shelter. Officers also attended career days at several of the schools throughout the county.

In the future, Langley noted, the department will hold the Fourth Annual Open House for which the date will soon be announced. The department is also currently looking into possibly doing some type of fall festival.

Langley’s report also accounted for numerous donations the department received over the past year, including food, kitty litter, toys, bowls, blankets, collars, leashes, dog houses, as well as monetary donations, which allowed them to be able to provide assistance to citizens who needed help caring for their pets.

“We strive in giving back to the community when possible,” said Langley. “This opens the door for better communication between Animal Control and the citizens of Dinwiddie County and allows for educational opportunities.”

Moving forward, Dinwiddie County Animal Control’s goals for 2018 include continuing to improve the public’s image of Animal Control, expanding community outreach and education, and finding a better solution for citizens when dealing with free-range livestock issues. Also with the increase they have seen in wildlife calls, they feel there is a need to look into wildlife training for the officers so they will be able to safely handle any calls involving wildlife.

Kelsey Reichenberg may be reached at kreichenberg@progress-index.com or 804-722-5109.

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